SWB RailRiders Game Notes- July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025 - International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (14-3, 52-37) at Worcester Red Sox (6-12, 47-45)

July 18, 2025 | Game 90 | Road Game 41 | Polar Park | First Pitch 6:45 P.M.

RH Brendan Beck (1-0, 4.91) vs. RHP Cooper Criswell (3-1, 2.88)

Beck: Surrendered 5 R on 5 H over 3.0 IP with 2 K & 1 BB in 7/10 ND vs. BUF (11-7 RailRiders)

Criswell: Pitched 5.0 shutout innings in 7/11 Win @ ROC, allowing 6 H with 6 K & 2 BB (5-3 WooSox)

LAST TIME OUT- MOOSIC, PA (July 13, 2025) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Buffalo Bisons 5-4 Sunday afternoon at PNC Field to complete the series sweep. The RailRiders have won eight in a row and sit alone atop the International League standings heading into the MLB All-Star break.

Yankees #2 prospect Spencer Jones opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with his seventh home run of the season, blasting a 399-foot solo shot to left field and giving Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a 1-0 edge. Buffalo tied the game in the top of the second against RailRiders starter Carlos Carrasco. A sacrifice bunt off the bat of Christian Bethencourt scored Ali Sanchez to even the contest at one. The RailRiders reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth. After Yankees #12 prospect Everson Pereira and T.J. Rumfield walked, Andrew Velazquez laid down a two-run infield single for a 3-1 cushion. Carrasco held Buffalo scoreless for four innings until the seventh, when Bethencourt tied the game at three with a two-run homer to left. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, capturing their second lead of the day. Velazquez and Edison Duran singled to lead off the frame and scored when Yankees #30 prospect Jesús Rodríguez singled to pull ahead 5-3. The Bisons plated a run in the top of the eighth. Alan Roden walked and scored off a Riley Tirotta force-out to narrow the deficit to one. Buffalo brought the go-ahead run to the plate twice in the ninth, but Kervin Castro retired both batters to close the door on the Bisons to earn the save.

Carrasco (2-2) earned his second victory of the series while Lazaro Estrada (2-5) took the loss. Castro's save was his first for the RailRiders.

LONG ROAD AHEAD- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre resumes play with a nine-game road swing to Worcester and Rochester. This road trip is the longest remaining on the schedule. The RailRiders have not played at Worcester this season, but went 8-4 against the WooSox at PNC Field, including sporting a 5-1 mark to start the second half. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre returns to Polar Park in early September. The series at Innovative Field, however, is the only trip to the Flower City in 2025 and wraps the season set with Rochester. The RailRiders took seven of ten against the Red Wings over two series in the first half with two canceled games.

GREAT EIGHT- For the second time this season, the RailRiders have won eight straight games. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre won eight straight from June 8 through June 17, taking the final game in St. Paul, sweeping Syracuse at PNC Field and winning the first game in Louisville.

SO GOOD- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is 27-8 since June 3. The RailRiders have the best record in the International League since then, with the best ERA at 3.55. The club is hitting .274 during that 35-game stretch, tied with Indianapolis for the best average in the league.

CLEANING UP- Last week's sweep of Buffalo was the second at PNC Field this season. Prior to 2025, the RailRiders had not swept two six-game home series since 2021. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre completed two six-game sweeps in 2024, at Norfolk from April 9 to 14 and in Jacksonville from April 30 through May 5.

ARM UP- Brendan Beck will get the ball for the RailRiders in the series opener at Polar Park this evening. Buffalo built a 5-1 lead against Beck in his last start before Scranton/Wilkes rallied back to tie the game after four innings.

RUNNING RAMPANT- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre stole 23 bases in 25 chances during its nine-game homestand. Entering play tonight, the RailRiders are fifth in the IL with 130 stolen bases, seven behind the Rochester Red Wings.

SAVED US! Kervin Castro's save on Sunday was his fourth over 121 Minor League games. The right-hander had not saved a game since 2023 while playing for Toledo. Castro is 4-0 and carries a 1.88 ERA in his first season playing in the Yankees' system. New York used a Minor League Rule 5 pick to select Castro from Houston in December of 2023, but he missed the entire 2024 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

BOYLE SHELVED- New York placed Sean Boyle on the 7-Day Injured List last Friday. Boyle leads the RailRiders in innings pitched with 84.2 and is second in strikeouts with 83 over 17 appearances, including 13 starts.

DECENT DAY- Carlos Carrasco worked seven complete innings in Sunday's win against Buffalo. He is the second RailRiders pitcher to go seven innings in a game this season, joining Erick Leal and his June 29 appearance against Worcester. Carrasco had not pitched seven full innings in over a year. He pitched seven in a loss for Cleveland at the Chicago White Sox on May 10, 2024.

NEW LEADER- T.J. Rumfield leads the RailRiders with 60 runs batted in, having surpassed Jose Rojas (57) atop the chart with 14 over his last ten games. Rojas took the team lead with his three-homer, eight-RBI day on May 1 at Syracuse, and no one passed him for 72 days. Rumfield's 60 have come in 82 games this season. The first baseman drove in 71 over 114 games last year.

AROUND THE ORGANIZATION- New York begins a series in Atlanta this evening. Ian Hamilton gets the ball for the Yankees against Spencer Strider... Somerset resumes play at Hartford... Hudson Valley is on the road at Jersey Shore this weekend... Tampa travels to Dunedin for the weekend.

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics

International League Stories from July 18, 2025

Cameron Smashes Two Homers in Rain-Shortened Win - Nashville Sounds
Indy Drops Rain-Shortened Opener in Nashville - Indianapolis Indians
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Jacksonville Edges Stripers 3-2 in Series Opener - Gwinnett Stripers
Red Wings Mash Their Way to Victory over IronPigs - Rochester Red Wings
Charlotte Blasts Three Home Runs, Falls 7-5 to Durham - Charlotte Knights
Jacksonville Wins Low-Scoring Affair against Gwinnett - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Redbirds Return from Break with Shutout of Mud Hens - Memphis Redbirds
'Pigs Dropped by Red Wings in First Game out of All-Star Break - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Chasers Take Series Opener from Bisons - Omaha Storm Chasers
Bisons Drop Opener against Omaha 7-3 Friday Night - Buffalo Bisons
Melton Deals Eight Strikeouts in Front of Sold-Out Crowd - Toledo Mud Hens
Bulls Bash Knights with 7-5 Victory - Durham Bulls
Syracuse and Norfolk Suspended on Friday with Mets Leading, 7-6, Game to Resume on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. - Syracuse Mets
Saints Pitchers Efficient in 3-1 Victory over Bats - St. Paul Saints
Bats Fail to Break Through, Drop Opener to Saints - Louisville Bats
RailRiders Remain Red Hot out of the Break - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Friday Night's Game vs. Syracuse Suspended - Norfolk Tides
July 18 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Columbus Clippers - Iowa Cubs
SWB RailRiders Game Notes- July 18, 2025 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - July 18 at Lehigh Valley - Rochester Red Wings

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